The Jomon Bow
by The Painted Lady
Summary: Kagome learns of a powerful weapon...in History Class? Follow yet another quest by the Inu Gang as they seek the Jomon Bow.
1. Discovery

Title: The Jomon Bow

Author: The Painted Lady

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I will return them to her, washed and pressed, when I am finished torturing them.

Chapter One: Discovery

Kagome sighed in boredom as she leaned back in her chair, balancing neatly on its back legs. The classroom seemed hotter and stuffier than usual, the history lecture more dry and tedious than she could ever remember. Since she had become an active participant in 'history', the class had become increasingly dull.

"The Jomon people of ancient Japan were little more than sustenance farmers, depending heavily on the meat that the hunters would bring back to the small villages…"

Kagome only half listened to her teacher, her attention held by the sun shining brightly on the school commons. She desperately wanted this class to be over, because this was the last day in the week that she would be staying in her time. She knew that Inu Yasha was probably at her house right now, waiting for her to get home so they could go down the well and continue the adventure for the shards of the Shikon. Badly missing her friends from the Feudal Age, Kagome tried to will the clock on the wall to go faster. For the Nth time she checked the timepiece, but to no avail. The clock had shown that only fifteen minutes had passed since the beginning of class.

"Higurashi, balancing is for gym Class, not History. Please treat the chair as you would any other and keep it on the floor."

With a scarlet flush, she plopped her chair back into its proper position and tried to pay attention to her teacher. As the lecture continued, Kagome stifled a yawn and dutifully took notes on the remnants of the Jomon people.

"The only artifacts that remain from this period are clay pots and vases, designed with a chord like structure, as you would guess," Mr. Tanuki chuckled over his own little joke, completely oblivious of his drowsy audience. Not only was the room muggy, but he had drawn the blinds to better portray his PowerPoint presentation. The dark, combined with stifling heat, made even Eri, the smartest girl in the class, inattentive.

Flipping to the next screen, the teacher continued, "Oddly enough, the only other know artifact is this. It is called the Jomon Bow."

At the word 'bow', Kagome's head shot up from her near slumber, and her pen became poised over her paper, ready to take down any information. She looked up at the overhead, and saw this bow that Mr. Tanuki was speaking of. It was black, with a red chord like design seen on most of the containers from the previous slides. However, it was not strung, and looked old and fragile, as if it would fall apart if introduced to a strong wind.

Mr. Tanuki sighed and inwardly grimaced as he noticed the 'Higurashi girl' start to pay attention at the mention of the weapon. To him, it seemed that the only thing his students were interested in were the bloody battles and dangerous weapons that history had to offer. If a student would have been interested in the unexplained migration of sea sponges last year, he would have been thrilled.

"The Jomon Bow is somewhat of a mystery," He continued, "But there is a legend that surrounds it. The myth says that it once belonged to a powerful sorcerer. When an evil Lord came to take over his lands, he charmed it; made it extremely powerful. Supposedly, it could destroy anything it hit."

He didn't hear Kagome's excited intake of breath.

"The Lord was crafty, he knew that he couldn't get near the sorcerer while he had the bow. So he sent and assassin to deal with him. This assassin killed the sorcerer and his family, and took the bow to his Lord. The evil Lord then used the bow against his enemies, and became the most powerful warlord in ancient Japan. However, the sorcerer's apprentice survived, and cursed the evil lord. The Lord disappeared, and the apprentice took the bow. Sadly, the bow had become filled with the Lord's wickedness, and the young man guarded the Jomon Bow, waiting for someone worthy enough to wield it."

Instantly, Kagome's hand shot into the air.

"What happened to the apprentice?" she queried.

"No one knows, for sure," Mr. Tanuki answered, "Some believe that he became a hermit and guarded the bow, others think he abandoned the bow for a woman. Most scholars, myself included, think that this legend was concocted the explain away the existence of such a bow."

Deflated, Kagome let her hand fall into her lap. She had gotten so excited about the bow, and couldn't stop herself from asking the question. Blushing under Mr. Tanuki's gaze, she raised her hand again, this time more hesitantly.

"If there is no explanation of the bows existence, then how did it come to be there, at that point in history?"

With a slightly irritated look, the teacher answered, "I do not know. But," he hastily continued as he saw Kagome was going to interrupt him again, "The bow is on display at the Museum of History in Tokyo. Perhaps someone there will be able to tell you more."

Nodding her head, Kagome sat back in her chair, well aware of the stares that her fellow students were casting in her direction. This was the first time all year that she had willingly participated in class, and Ayame wondered on it. 'She's interested in a crummy old bow?' she thought to herself.

As the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Kagome, Eri, and Ayame exited the sweltering classroom and left the school building arm in arm. While her two friends chatted amiably, Kagome was lost in thought.

"A bow that can destroy anything? If I could get a hold of it, this would greatly help in our quest against Naraku. But how to get it…"

Her thoughts left her as Eri waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello? Kagome, anyone home?"

"Wha…" she said intelligently.

Ayame and Eri started giggling, "Houjo just walked past you and tried to talk to you, but you just kind of ignored him," Ayame said in between fits of laughter. "He was absolutely crushed! You should have seen his face!"

Normally, Kagome would have turned around and apologized to Houjo, but her mind was still reeling over the implications that the bow held for her.

"I really have to run home, guys," she stated, breaking the contact between her two companions. "There's something I need to take care of." She was remembering now that Inu Yasha would more than likely come looking for her if she was late, and explaining him away to her friends, again, didn't seem like a fun time.

"Awe, Kag! We were going to go to WacDonald's and grab a bite to eat."

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder as she took off in the direction of her house. "I gotta get home, I have something important I need to do!"

As the two friends watched her retreating form, Eri looked at Ayame and said, "People come and go so quickly here!"

"With that, they turned and headed for the WaDonald's to disscuss their friend's strange personality.

End Part

A/N: So, what you think? This will start to get better soon, I promise. Lots of adventure and action! It jut takes a while for the plot to develop, but if you stick around, it will start to get more interesting, I swear! The little 'joke' that Mr. Tanuki thought he made was that the word "Jomon" literally means "Chord-Like". I'm not sure if I have researched this time period correctly, but the Jomon people did exist, though in a much earlier time than Feudal Japan. Also, a cookie to anyone who got the "Wizard of Oz" reference!

Well, Feed the Beast peeps! Push the little blue button!


	2. Thwarted

Title: The Jomon Bow

Author: The Painted Lady

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, owned Inu Yasha. I will return them to Rumiko Takahashi, washed and pressed, when I am done with them.

Chapter 2

Kagome ran up the shrine steps, completely exhausted. She had just sprinted the mile and a half distance between the school and her home in hopes of avoiding another scene involving Inu Yasha and her friends. Totally out of breath, the young woman glanced around the grounds, trying to catch a glimpse of the crimson hayori that the hanyou wore so frequently. Seeing nothing out of place, Kagome let a little sigh of relief escape her lips.

'At least that's one disaster evaded today,' she thought as she entered her home.

Just as the notion entered her head, it was quickly dispelled by an irritated voice calling from the other room.

"Oi, wench! Its about time!"

Sighing again, Kagome tried in vain not to roll her eyes. Clenching her hands at her sides, she retorted back,

"Shut up, I'm not late!"

"Keh, for once."

She felt her blood pressure starting to rise, and forced herself to calm down. She was counting backwards from one hundred when she was interrupted at ninety-two.

"Why are you just standing there? Go get your stuff!"

Kagome attempted to ignore him, instead favoring the kitchen with a nonchalant air. Inu Yasha, who had entered the room at her silence, waved a hand in front of her face.

She leveled her gaze at him then, this time she couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

"Knock it off!" she swatted his hand away from her and stalked over to the refrigerator, intent on getting a chilled bottle of water to cool her thirst, and hopefully, her temper.

"What's crawled up your butt today?" Inu Yasha muttered, crossing his arms and staring at the back of her head.

"Nothing," she replied, a bit testily as she gulped down the water. "But I need to stay here in this time for a few more hours."

Before she could explain her reasons, the half demon balked, "You've just spent a whole week here! What more could you possibly have to do?" His expression suddenly darkened. "You're not going out with that boy again, are you? The one with the funny name?"

"Its nothing like that!" Kagome sputtered, a little to quickly. She wasn't able to keep the slight blush off her face when he had mentioned 'Hobo'. It wasn't that she liked him, quite the opposite was the case. But just the mere fact that Inu Yasha was asking about her love life was a bit much, even more so because of the low rumble that was now emanating from his chest.

'Time for damage control', she thought, 'Diversionary tactics are a go.'

"I may have learned of a new weapon that could help us defeat Naraku and I need to go and investigate it."

At the combination of the words 'weapon', 'defeat', and 'Naraku', the hanyou's ears perked up.

"Well, why didn't you just say so before?" Inu Yasha grabbed her arm and started to haul her out into the shrine grounds. "Let's get moving!" In his haste, the half demon forgot she was holding something and she dropped the water bottle on the floor, its contents spilling over and wetting the white tile, soaking her socks and the hem of Inu Yasha's hayori.

Kagome planted her feet firmly into the ground, impeding the half demon's progress, slipping and sliding in the proccess. "You know the rules," she said, "If you go out in public, you have to wear normal clothes" There was much complaining at that, but the prospect of being able to defeat Naraku was enough to convince him, but only barely.

So fifteen minutes, three wardrobe changes, and one hat later, Kagome and Inu Yasha were on the subway

Inu Yasha and Kagome milled around the lobby of the Natural History Museum, trying to look normal. According to the plan that they had devised on the subway, they would wait until the museum was closed, then get the bow. As it was, they were a bit conspicuous, for Inu Yasha had tried to attack the escalator, along with the elevator, the revolving doors, and he had also performed a very acrobatic leap into the air when someone's voice came on the intercom speaker.

Right now, however, the twosome were hiding behind a rather large potted plant by the elevator, waiting the required ten minutes before the museum closed. They watched a security guard close and lock the main doors, then he went back to the front desk, propped his feet up, and started reading a newspaper.

"Now's our chance," whispered Kagome, and they snuck from behind the foliage and up the stairs to the room where the Jomon Exhibit could be viewed. The bow was in the center of the room, under a glass case with a single light shining down upon it. As they approached it, Kagome noticed that it looked even older than in the picture that she had seen in class.

"Are you kiddin' me?" Inu Yasha growled, "This old bow couldn't shoot down a field mouse, much less Naraku! Its not even strung! No doubt because stringing it would demolish this old piece of crap!" He huffed and put his hands into his hayori, putting on a show of pouting.

"It didn't look like this in the picture," the young woman protested. Putting her hand up to the glass, she could feel a faint power radiating into her hand. 'It's so fragile', she thought, 'There is no way that this bow has enough power. It was a stupid idea, anyway…' She saw her reflection in the surface of the case, her face showing the disappointment that she felt.

"Excuse me, but the museum closed ten minutes ago," a voice, rough and gravely from years of usage interrupted Kagome's thoughts. Both she and the hanyou turned, he with a small rumble.

"I'm sorry, sir," she apologized, shooting Inu Yasha with a 'Sit, Boy!' glare. "We just got here, and wanted to know more about this bow. There's just something about it…."

As she trailed off, the old man who had disrupted her train of thought came around a corner of the exhibit and gave them both an appraising look. He was small and shriveled, like the bow in the case. The man's graying hair was sparse on top, but he held an aura of vitality and there was a spark of something steely behind his dark eyes. His face seemed tough and hard, like it was carved out ofthe same wood as the Goshinboku. Then, a thoughtful expression crossed his haggard features, and he smiled softly, causing a transformation. He now seemed welcoming and warm.

"Yes, that bow has some history in it. Have you heard the legend?" they nodded their heads, as Kagome had told Inu Yasha about the bow on the subway. "Good," he continued, "I am glad that at least some young people have a respect for history."

Kagome would later reflect on those last words as ironic, but for now, she just politely nodded her head once again.

"I am the curator of this exhibit," the old man stated, "And I also know that you two have come for the bow."

At this, Kagome was startled, but Inu Yasha leapt into action. He seized the man by his collar and hissed,

"How do you know what we've come here for, old man? " Answering his own question, he continued, "Are you a demon who can read minds?"

He just smiled serenely into the enraged hanyou's face, and said, "I have my ways. And I assure you, I am no demon. I knew it was only a matter of time until you came looking for it," he said, looking at Kagome who gasped and clutched her hand to her chest. "And I also know," he persisted as Inu Yasha's grip tightened on him, "That I cannot give you the bow at this time."

"What do you mean?" Kagome queried, starting forwards towards the man, "If you know why we've come, then you surely wouldn't deny us! We need it!"

"Think about what I said, Kagome! I cannot give you the bow _at this time_!"

Then, it clicked. Inu Yasha set the man back down to his prior position on the ground, and Kagome exhaled forcefully.

"You mean, I have to go back to Feudal Japan and get the bow?" she asked.

"Yes," the old man whispered, straightening his rumpled shirt and adjusting his askew glasses. "As you can see, the bow is useless in this time. It is fragile and feeble. You must seek it in the past."

"How do you know all of this, old man?" the hanyou questioned, still not trusting enough to stifle the growling in his chest. "How do you know of, " he caught himself before giving too much away, "the past?"

The elderly gentlemen just gave another small grin, straightened his thin, graying hair, and bowed to them both.

"I wish you both luck in your quest," he said, then shuffled out of the room, the knowing smile still firmly planted on his face.

Inu Yasha and Kagome shared confused glances, and Kagome shrugged at him. 'Demented old gank,' the half demon thought.

"That's just great," Inu Yasha muttered, as they departed the museum a short while later. "We wasted all this time, just to hear the ranting of a crazy old man. I hope you're happy."

"Quit being such a pill," Kagome answered. They were walking home as the subways had all closed down for the night. "I think it was worth it. Anything that we can get to defeat Naraku will be of great help to us. Even if it didn't pan out this time, we have to be on the alert for anything that will help us, right?"

"Keh," he answered after a moment, looking up into the night sky. He hated this time, he couldn't see the stars or hear the song of the night crickets. The only thing that he could detect was the noxious fumes of the cars and the rumbles of the city streets. "I'm going to take care of Naraku," he muttered after a long while, "You just worry about finding the last of the jewel shards."

They strolled side by side in silence until they reached the shrine. As the well transported them back to Feudal Japan, Kagome's thoughts were not on the jewel shards, but on the strange man at the museum, his advice, and how, just how, did he know her name?

End Part

A/N: I screwed up in that last chapter. Ayame wasn't as school with Eri and Kagome. I meant to put Yuka, but my brain had a flat. So sorry! Anyways, the next chapter will have to do with the gang's quest for the bow. Lots of action next time on "The Jomon Bow"!

Feed the beast! Push the little blue button!


	3. Silence is Deafening

Title: The Jomon Bow

Author: The Painted Lady

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha. I will return the characters to Rumiko Takahashi, washed and pressed, when I am finished.

Chapter Three: Silence is Deafening

The sun was shining brightly as Kagome and Inu Yasha exited the well, causing them to squint, letting their eyes adjust from the gloom of the portal to the brightness of the outside world. The half demon breathed deeply, inhaling the familiar scents of his world., loving the fact that he didn't choke on noxious fumes. 'Its so good to be back,' he thought to himself, feeling some of the stress that he always carried when he went across time to Kagome's home leave him.

Kagome picked up her monstrous book bag, and the two headed for the village, silent but comfortable with each other. Both enjoyed the quiet of the Feudal Era, and both were loath to disrupt it.

As they entered the small town, the two looked eagerly towards Kaede's hut expectantly, as their friends didn't meet them at the well. What they saw was, however, uncharacteristic of the hamlet. Before Kaede's home was a crowd of people, and Kirara in her large demon form. The half demon and the miko glanced at each other, sharing a concerned look, then sprinted the rest of the way.

"What's going on?" Kagome asked, pushing her way through the crowd.

"I'm glad you're back," she heard a familiar voice answer. Sango stood before her, in her slayer uniform. She was having trouble navigating the crowd, but remained in front of the young woman. "We've received reports from the neighboring village that a volcano demon is active, and although he hasn't attacked yet, it's reputation is fierce. It could destroy the entire country!"

As the throng jostled Kagome, she grabbed hold of Sango's arm and they pushed their way into Kaede's hut. Inu Yasha had already made his way in, and Miroku was there, packing a few things in a small knapsack.

"Sango's told you what's going on, then?" the monk queried, seeing her frightened expression. Kagome nodded and he continued, "I've just filled Inu Yasha in on the details. The villagers are in a panic as this volcano demon could affect the entire surrounding country. I've told them to flee into the hills, but they insist that we fight this demon." Shaking his head, Miroku did seem a little relieved, "I'm glad you are back, Kagome and Inu Yasha, because without the Tetsuiga, Sango and I couldn't have handled this demon alone."

Nodding, the hanyou conceded the point, but didn't say anything. He was concerned, for he had heard of the destructive powers of volcano demons, but didn't say anything to the group. Instead, he asked, "Where's Shippou?"

"He went with Kaede to a village in the South," Sango answered, tightening a strap on her outfit, making sure it was snug. "I told him he needed to protect her so he would go. I don't know it he could've helped in the battle, but I didn't want to see him hurt."

"You did the right thing," Kagome comforted when she saw the concern in the slayer's eyes. She put a hand on Sango's shoulder and smiled, "He would've been in great danger if left with us for this fight."

"Right then," Miroku stood up and faced the group, "Shall we go then?"

All agreed and they set off, the mass of people behind them cheering as they left the hamlet.

As they arrived in the neighboring town, they first thing they noticed was the silence. It appeared that the citizens had fled, making the place seem like a ghost town. The group walked down the main street, not hearing even the bark of a stray dog. Everything had run away.

A lone mountain shot up from the ground about a half mile from the village's edge. It was a dark and forbidding sort of place, with jagged edges and it blotted out the sun, making them cold.

"This mountain is an evil place," commented Miroku as he looked up on it. "It seems to suck all the happiness out of me."

Kagome agreed, although she didn't say anything. Brining her arms up, she tried to rub some warmth into them as she stepped just a little closer to Inu Yasha. As the band of companions gazed on the peak, a huge billow of smoke erupted from the very top, and the ground began to shake.

"What's going on?" Sango cried, using Hirikoustu to balance herself.

"An earthquake!" Kagome yelled, losing all sense of propriety and flinging her arms around Inu Yasha's waist, and burying her face into his hayori.

"No, this isn't an earthquake," Miroku shouted, barely heard over the rumbling of the ground, "This is an eruption."

As he said that, the troop saw red hot splashes of lava erupt from the mountain.

"Stay here!" Inu Yasha yelled, pushing Kagome towards the monk and the tayia. "I'm gonna take care of this demon!" He paused a moment to give the young miko his fire rat hayori. "Use this if it starts getting bad down here."

Before she could protest, the half demon leapt up the mountain, using his demon reflexes to dodge the flying debris. Finding footholds on the rocky terrain of the peak, Inu Yasha was at the top in a matter of moments. What he saw there would haunt his dreams for many years to come. In the center of the crater were the lava and rocks were shooting out, was the biggest demon he had ever seen. Its skin was molten fire, its hands were tipped with what seemed like spears, and it had black wings made out of sooty smoke and ash. The demon turned to view the half demon, and Inu Yasha visibly gulped. Its eyes were the black of coal, but in their depths swam a red so fiery that is seemed this demon's soul was made entirely of flame.

"Oh Shit," he muttered, before dodging an inferno of heat, "This thing can breath fire, too." As he flipped in mid air, he unsheathed his fang and skidded to a halt on the crater's edge, not wanting to get too close. As the mountain shuddered under the demon's steps, Inu Yasha unleashed the Wind Scar, its powerful energy carving yet more marks into the peak.

Suddenly, everything went quiet. The ground stopped trembling, and the lava ceased to flow. 'A hit!' he thought gleefully. His joy was short-lived, however, when the quiet was torn apart by an ear shattering roar. The smoke cleared enough for him to see that the demon still stood, bereft of a wing, and very, very angry. It turned its massive head towards Inu Yasha and began a charge. It was fast. Very Fast. Breathing fire and bellowing the cry of an injured animal, it unleashed its fury upon the half demon.

Inu Yasha's eyes widened as he realized that he wouldn't be able to dodge. His attacker was bearing down upon him, and there wasn't any room to maneuver. Settling Tetsuiga in a defense stance, he waited for his opponent to approach him.

"Hirikoustu!" he heard, and he groaned in disbelief. The half demon saw the boomerang hit its intended target, but it soared right through and embedded itself into the side of the crater. Looking up, he saw Sango and Miroku on the back of the Fire cat, they were close enough that he could see the horrified expression on the slayer's face.

"Get out of here!" Inu Yasha screamed. He saw Miroku release the beads around his hand, fully intent to suck this demon up into his void. "No!" Inu Yasha shouted, "You'll be consumed with fire before you can get rid of it!"

"There's only one way to defeat this enemy," he thought grimly as his companions watched helplessly. The volcano demon was almost upon him, and he knew what he had to do. The Backlash Wave was the only way, even though that meant that he would probably be consumed in the flames of the beast.

Abruptly, the demon screamed in pain. Its tail writhed and its fiery black eyes closed in agony. The flames that made up its body began to blacken, its remaining wing dissolved and floated away on the wind. As it struggled against the hurt it felt, Inu Yasha's keen eyes saw the tell tale glow of a sacred arrow embedded in the demon's back.

"Damn wench," he thought, glancing around the top of the peak for the miko. He saw her standing across the crater from him, her bow held in front of her and a determined look on her face.

"Jewel Shard!" she screamed over the howls of the fire creature, "In its forehead!"

"Right," he yelled back, and leapt in for an attack. The Tetsuiga, combined with the purifying powers of the sacred arrow, were too much for the fiend to tolerate, and it became ash under the half demon's feet upon impact of the Wind Scar.

Kirara landed near Inu Yasha, allowing Sango and Miroku to dismount, and Kagome stumbled towards the hanyou, obviously exhausted. She searched through the dust, found the shard, and put it with her others.

"That demon was incredible," Sango whispered, pulling her boomerang out of the crater's wall. "I've never seen one so strong before, excluding Naraku."

Everyone else nodded silently, too tired or stressed to speak. The peace after the fight was deafening, they could still hear the demon's roars thundering in their ears.

"Oh thank you!" a voice broke the hush that had settled, and the warriors immediately turned towards it, weapons brandished. A young man was standing in a hole in the crater's wall, covered in ash and soot. "I thought that the demon would kill me for sure."

"Who are you?" Inu Yasha snarled, not lowering his sword. The young man approached them with a bright smile on his face. Not even looking at the half demon, he turned to Kagome, "I knew you would come! I've been waiting for you!"

"What do you mean?" the miko asked, her friends astonished. She looked closely at the man, trying to determine if she had ever met him before. His black hair was cut close, and his smile was warm and friendly. His pale blue eyes sparkled with a vitality, but there was something steely about them, a determination that wouldn't go unnoticed.

"You're the one! The one who can break the spell!" he continued. He thrust something into her hands. She looked down, and about fell over. Sitting in her hands was the Jomon Bow.

A/N: Wow, that was fun to write! And convenient, huh? All shall be explained in the next chapter, as in my mind, there are no coincidences. And my thanks to my Beta, GoldenFoxFyre, you rock! Also, this chapter was written with the inspiration of Evanescence, first album. If not for music, I couldn't write. Thanks for all of you who've reviewed in the past, it means a great deal to me. Well, until next week, see ya later!


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